1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cutter, e.g., an annular cutter, for engagement with an arbor of a drill machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cutters, e.g., annular cutters, are known in the art for engagement with a drill machine for cutting holes in a workpiece. The drill machine includes a housing and a motor coupled to the housing. The arbor is coupled to the motor for rotation with the motor. The arbor defines a bore and the cutter is engaged to the arbor in the bore. A driving device is coupled to the arbor and extends into the bore for engaging the cutter, i.e., to lock the cutter in the bore. The driving device transmits rotation from the arbor to the cutter.
The driving device can be further defined as a set screw that threadedly extends through the arbor and into the bore. The set screw is rotated to threadedly advance and retreat the set screw into and out of the bore to engage and disengage the drill machine, respectively.
Alternatively, the driving device can be further defined as an extending member, e.g., a ball, extending into the bore of the arbor. In such a configuration, the cutter must define a retaining recess such that the extending member engages the cutter in the retaining recess. It is known in the art to provide a locking mechanism for moving the extending member radially within the bore. The locking mechanism moves the extending member is radially outwardly to allow the cutter to be inserted into the bore and removed from the bore. The locking mechanism moves the extending member radially inwardly to engage the extending member with the retaining recess to lock the cutter in the bore.
Both when the driving device is defined as a set screw or as an extending member, the engagement and disengagement of the cutter with the arbor is needlessly complicated and time consuming. With respect to the set screw, the threaded advancement and retreat of the set screw is time consuming. In addition, a hand tool such as an allen wrench, i.e., hex wrench, is required to threadedly advance and retreat the set screw into and out of the bore. With respect to the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism often requires two hands to operate, i.e., one hand to hold the cutter and another hand to operate the locking mechanism. In addition, the locking mechanism is costly and complicated to design and manufacture.
As such there remains the need for an cutter that is quickly and easily engaged and disengaged with the arbor. There also remains the need for a cutter that can be engaged and disengaged with the arbor without the need for a tool or a locking mechanism to lock the cutter to the arbor.